A RARE TOKYO SCHOOL IVORY NETSUKE OF HOTEI AND A RAT BY TOMOYUKI
Ivory netsuke with colours and inlaysJapan, Tokyolate 19th centuryA cute and unusual little netsuke of Hotei, with a bald head and large belly, stirring miso in a bowl in front of him. The bowl has a pattern on the exterior in black coarse lacquer. Hotei’s robe is green, painted with flowers and inlaid with silver geometrical patterns. He is laughing as a small rat, who was feasting on the miso, is climbing on his bald head. Small himotoshi and signature TOMOYUKI on the foot of the bowl, along with a red seal. The artist was part of the Tomochika school in Tokyo. WIDTH 3.5 CMCondition: A bridge from the edge of the robe to his foot has been chipped - otherwise in good conditionProvenance: British private collection